Based on the Novel by Brom Stoker
Directed by Todd Browning
Main Players
Bela Lugosi................Count Dracula
Helen Chandler........Mina Seward
David Manners.........John Harker
Renfield.....................Dwight Frye
Edward Van Sloan...Dr Van Helsing
Dracula is THE vampire. He fed on blood, could turn into not only a bat but a wolf too. Stereotypically slept in a coffin, only it had to be surrounded by his human grave site soil. And apparently he was telepathic, and had crazy persuasion and mind control powers, also known as the Vampire Spell. Which seems to take the form of epic eyebrows. Dracula’s lack of reflection in mirrors, and his aversion to crosses. All canon Vampire traits, 
expect that the herb of choice to get rid of vampires is not garlic, but wolf bane. Which makes more since now that Dracula turns into a wolf.
The movie actually opens with Renfield, (Dwight Fry) he's on his way to Dracula's castle to confirm the purchase of some real estate in London. He does this in spite of ALL the villagers telling him not to go. Renfield's first experience deal with Dracula can be summed up in 5 words. Big, huge creepy Gothic castle.
Fitting the plot of Dracula into the confirmation story this would be w
here the Onset begins. The Onset being where a character starts to notice all sorts of supernatural or monstrous things, but doesn't know that a monster is causing them. Renfield's doing his job and going to Castle Dracula to met with him about the lease of the Abby. All along the way in his journey there are blatant hints that he is head right toward the monster. But he is unbelieving and continues on.
In the castle, first of all armadillo’s WTF.
You've go to watch out for those Transylvanian armadillos...I guess. Film trained animals were probably scarce them, and all they could get were armadillos...but still. Cobs webs and filth everywhere, it doesn’t look like anyone LIVES there. Throughout this entire stair case scene Dracula (Bela Lugosi) gives Renfield these meaningful looks. Has the Vampire’s Spell already started? Renfield continues cautiously up the stairs. Somehow Dracula passes through a wall of cobwebs without breaking them. Renfield notices this because he has to knock the large web down with his cane before he can go on. When he looked to Dracula confused before he did this Dracula had a look on his face that said, ”I dare you to ask.” Dracula then speaks about the spider on the wall spinning its web for the un-weary fly. Spider= foreshadowing.
Here is where the Discovery would go in this story. The Discovery is when the character starts to realize that it is a monster making all of these things happen. 
Discovery happens when Renfield enters the castle, filthy, and infested. He seems unsure of what’s going on, and he becomes slightly suspicious when Dracula makes his appearance. Dracula just acts weirder and weirder throughout the scene. Eventually Renfield discovers the Dracula is a vampire first hand. When Dracula isn’t looking Renfield looks around his surroundings, suspiciously. Dracula is leasing an Abby in London, and only taking three boxes with him overseas. Notice Dracula always speaks and moves slowly.
Doesn’t help that Renfield cuts himself, exposing his blood to the hungry vampire, and then proceeds to suck on it in front of the vampire. Ok “Bella”. Wine = Date rape. Dracula later feeds on Renfield, but doesn’t turn him into a vampire, but instead uses him as a servant with the promise of turning him later.
Onset happens again during the time Dracula and Renfield are on the ship, and land in London. Where Dracula meets Mina at the theater, and he knows his goal for the rest of the story. Throughout the rest of the story our cast of characters start to suspect a supernatural blood sucking monster is among them, and that it’s targeting Mina. (They didn’t realize is soon enough though. Why doesn’t anyone listen to Renfield?) Dr Van Helsing suspects that is Count Dracula from Transylvania. He just so happens to call on Mina often and always asks if he can visit her in the night, and Harker doesn’t like that way he looks at his future wife.
A sanitarium is a fancy word for a rich persons asylum. Its here where we find Renfield, eating spiders. Dr Van Helsing is an old man! I have never seen him portrayed that way. He’s brilliant. What is Mina doing in a sanitarium in the
first place? And how does a fully grown woman gets ordered around by her father, and two other men. A woman having strange dreams…and outside at night. Of course she must be mentally ill, and prone to fainting too.
Dracula’s second discovery happens in the sanitarium during one of the times Dracula is calling on Mina after he’s bitten her the first time. Both John and Van Helsing are suspicious, and already think that Dracula is a vampire, but they don’t have any proof.
Leading out of this is when Dr Van Helsing meets with Renfield, who has taken up residence in the Sanitarium to keep an eye on Mina for Dracula. (Here in this section I will actually do some dissection of the filming techniques used. It may not look like much, but if you break it down to action- to – action its a lot. All pretty rudimentary stuff, but when analyzed closely it proves to be a lot more than meets the eye.)
Renfield meets Van Helsing
Fade in_
We are in Dr Seward’s office at the Sanitarium. He has a big lavish desk and the walls are lined with books. A standard Psychologist’s office. Dr. Seward and Van Helsing are talking to one another about Renfield’s condition, and the very thought of vampires.
Cut_Renfield looks very sad as he and Martin come in.
Martin making Renfield walk in front of him, as a real orderly would.
Cut_Back to Dr Seward and Van Helsing.
Cut_To Renfield. He doesn’t look so good, but he’s lucid and talking like his old self.
Cut_To Dr Seward (Mid Shot) looking surprised. (The man is a psychologist, why does he have a magnifying glass on his desk?)
Cut_Van Helsing and Renfield. Van Helsing takes Renfield’s hand. Explaining that he’s to help him, and Renfield answers back that he is grateful for the doctor’s help.
Cut_Dr Seward, he’s still surprised at how normal Renfield is acting.
Cut_ Long Shot
Dr Seward, Van Helsing, and Renfield. Suddenly Renfield’s demeanor has changes, and her snatches his hand back. “Keep your filthy hands to yourself.” His speech is very hostile, but then it changes again and he pleads Dr Seward to take Mina away from the Sanitarium for her own safety.
He pointedly looks at Van Helsing when he says his cries may give her bad dreams. He moves in close as he says this.
Cue wolf howl.
Cut_Sun going down.
Cut_ To what is assumedly the basement of the Abby where Dracula is staying. Camera Pans to a window (not the basement I guess) to see that it is now dark. We hear a coffin opening and then Pan back to see Dracula standing.
Cut_Long shot back to Dr Seward, Van Helsing, and Renfield. Who is looking very disturbed by the wolf howling.
Cut_ Medium shot of Renfield and Martin. (Out of all the English people in this film Martin is the only one that speaks with a British accent)
Cut_Back to Dr Seward and Van Helsing. Van Helsing reaches into his coat.
Cut_ Renfield and Martin, med shot. Van Helsing walks into the frame from the left, and pulls out the wolf bane and shov
es it in Renfield’s face. Renfield freaks out, and Martin has to grab onto him. “You know too much to live Van Helsing!”
Cut_Dr Seward, Med shot. Surprise!
Cut_Long shot with everyone in frame. Martin and Renfield move to leave.
Cut_ Medium shot, Renfield and Martin leaving. Then Re field turns back and warns Dr Seward to take Mina away again.
Cut_Dr Seward and Van Helsing, Medium shot.
Cut_Martin and Renfield leave.
Cut_Dr Seward and Van Helsing again. Then we find out that it was the wolf bane that freaked Renfield out, and that its used to ward away vampires. Starting to put a damper on Dr Seward’s disbelief of vampires. Van Helsing tells him to have Renfield watched all the time, especially at night.
Cut_Renfield crying into his bed. He’s so conflicted with himself. A wolf howls in the distance and Renfield stops crying, and he’s back in crazy mode. He sits up on his bed and goes over to the window. All you can see are the whites of his eyes.
Cut_Dracula standing in the yard, Long shot.
Cut_ Renfield at the window.
Cut_ EYEBROWS! Dracula is communicating with Renfield through his telepathy.
Cut_ Renfield begs him not to make him do that!
Cut_ EYEBROWS!
Cut_ Renfield begs and cries. He’s going to do it anyway. End Scene.
Both John and Van Helsing are suspicious, and already think that Dracula is a vampire, but they don’t have any proof. This is also the Confirmation part of the story. Van Helsing trick Dracula into looking into a mirror, Dracula freaks out, runs and turns into a wolf on the lawn to run away faster. There is no doubting that he is a vampire now. Confirmation in a story is when the character knows who the monster is and seeks to get other people to realize it, maybe even help get rid of it.
For probably the tenth time Renfield warns the men to take Min away, and hide her for her own safety...and they ignore him. The Planning part of the story comes into play now. Planning happens when everyone knows about the monster, and (well) plan what they plan to do about it. This is where the men plan for Dracula and ‘try’ to protect Mina. (Fail) Van Helsing instructs John in the proper way of slaying vampires. But its not really effective because Mina falls into Dracula's hands any way. What comes next is the Planned Attack/ Defense where the characters make due on their planned attack or defense against the monster.
Well, it’s not so much planned as it is following Renfield, and then finding that he’s leading you to Dracula and Mina. When Dracula hears Harker and Van Helsing following him he thinks Renfield has betrayed (he kinda did) him and kills him. Dracula just 
escaped them though. He shuts the door in Harker's and Van Helsing's faces, delaying them for a few minutes…but when they find him he’s dead asleep in his coffin. Then Van Helsing demonstrates his skills in the killing of vampires. Then it cuts to Mina and Harker walking up the giant spiral s
tair case Dracula pushed Renfield down. That's how it ends...very abrupt, and no closure. Just remember that we didn't actually see Dracula die.
Dracula seems to be more obvious with the transition from silent films to ones with sound. Things such as the actor doing and action or movement and then speaking. Dracula seems to speak as little as possible, using his telepathy rather than speaking. Is this another contribution left over from the silent movie era, or do they just not want Bela Lugosi to speak. Eyebrows = telepathic orders. There are lots of long awkward silent pauses throughout the movie anyway. The soundtrack hasn’t been invented yet, and it makes the movie seem very long, almost boring at parts. Though silence can be used as emphasis to make some situations even more scary than they really are movies today use music in practically every second of the movie. And today's viewers are accustomed to it.
A common catagorization of monsters is if they are feminine or masculine. Feminine monsters commonly use womanly wiles to get to their goals, which are usually to either immasculate men, not produce children, or eat them. In short feminine monsters are characterized by pulling away from their womanly duties of serving men, and having babies. Being passed down from father to husband. (Sexist but true) Masculine monsters are smashers and crashers. They used physical power, often by sexual violence to reach their goals. (Also sexist.) Dracula definatly fits into the masculine monster category.
Hell the whole point of the movie is that he wants Mina for himself. He interrupts the cycle of father to husband and disturbs it also because it is rather unclear how that works with Vampires. He would take her as his wife, but at the same time be her father by giving her the immortal life of a vampire. Incest? Bleh!
It's too bad Renfield goes mad in the hull of the ship before Dracula full fills his promise. Creepiest laugh ever. The easiest way to look insane or creepy into hold your eyes open really wide so that you can see their entire eye. Instant scary. After a bit of the servant treatment Renfield seems to start to resist the Vampire’s Spell and tries to betray Dracula, but instantly obeys him once his Master shows up and fixes him with a stare and those eyebrows. The rest of the movie I’m just expecting him Renfield to say “My precious” and bite someone’s finger off. How Renfield described eating spiders is reminiscent of Golem’s way of eating raw fish. Renfield is a divided character because he really want to be like Dracula, and when he can fight the Vampire’s Spell he does. Telling Van Helsing to hide Mina (which they don’t). If you think about it the movie Dracula is really about Renfield and his dealings with Dracula.
And just one more thought. Armadillos? WTF.
Todd Browning's Dracula 1931
Marina Warner- “Six Myths of Our Time”
Noel Carrol- “The Philosophy of Horror”
Mary Douglas- “Purity in Danger”
Terry Heller- “Monsters in Film”
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